Diwali Week Watchlist: Ramayana, Dilwali Diwali and More

The first week of November lands right in the middle of Diwali, and the release calendar is splitting between big-screen spectacle and small-screen family viewing. The biggest swing is Ramayana: Part 1, arriving in cinemas on November 5, while Netflix counters with the Diwali comedy Dilwali Diwali the same day.

The big-screen bet: Ramayana: Part 1

Nitesh Tiwari’s adaptation of the epic arrives on November 5 with Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. Sunny Deol and Ravi Dubey are also in the cast, and Namit Malhotra is producing. Part 1 follows Ravana’s kidnapping of Sita and Rama’s journey across the sea with an army to bring her back.

For Hindi film fans, this is the week’s theatrical event. It is a spectacle-first story about war, loyalty and love, and it will set the template for how the rest of the Ramayana saga performs.

Watch with the family: Dilwali Diwali

On Netflix from November 5, Dilwali Diwali stars Mihir Ahuja as Ansh Sikka, a young man who has made money abroad and returns home to upgrade his family’s life with a new apartment and other luxuries. What he discovers is that middle-class habits do not disappear with a better address. Manoj Pahwa, Neelu Kohli and Aurra Bhatnagar Badoni round out the cast in Ritesh Menon’s film.

The comedy should be an easy festival pick for families who want something warm between pujas, meals and card parties.

Thrillers on OTT: Haiwaan and Blind Game

If the family comedy is too soft, the streamers have darker options. Haiwaan lands on SonyLIV on November 6 after its September theatrical run. Saif Ali Khan plays a blind man protecting a young girl, while Akshay Kumar’s Parshuram is out for revenge against Judge Pradhan, played by Boman Irani. Priyadarshan directs.

On ZEE5 from November 4, Blind Game is a Hindi adaptation of the Malayalam action thriller 7th Day. Arjun Rampal plays suspended cop Sikander, who follows a missing pile of cash into deeper trouble. Priyamani also stars, under the direction of Sangeeth Sivan.

The full Diwali week at a glance

• November 4: A Dog’s Perfect Christmas on Netflix; Blind Game on ZEE5
• November 5: Ramayana: Part 1 in cinemas; Dilwali Diwali on Netflix
• November 6: The Cat in the Hat, Wild Horse Nine and Possible Love release; Haiwaan streams on SonyLIV

Beyond the Indian titles, Hollywood and international options fill the edges of the week: A Dog’s Perfect Christmas (Netflix, November 4) is a family-and-dog holiday story, The Cat in the Hat (theatrical, November 6) reworks the Dr. Seuss classic with Bill Hader among the cast, Wild Horse Nine (theatrical, November 6) is Martin McDonagh’s 1973 Chile-set thriller, and Possible Love (Netflix, November 6) is Lee Chang-dong’s story of two couples linked by a documentary about layoffs.

How to plan your week

Start with the festival’s centrepiece: book Ramayana: Part 1 early if you want a theatrical slot around Diwali. On the same evening, queue up Dilwali Diwali for a low-stakes family watch. Save Blind Game and Haiwaan for after the festive rush, when the house is quiet and a thriller can hold the screen.

That order is not about which title is best; it is about matching the release to the room you are in. A spectacle epic belongs in a cinema, a family comedy belongs on the television after dinner, and a thriller belongs to late-night streaming.

Source: Filmfare